Fingering attachment for stringed instruments.



I. A. THINGSTAD.

FINGERING ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1914.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 20,1917.

Lit

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INGVAR A. THINGSTAD, OF VERGAS, MINNESOTA.

FINGERING ATTACHMENT FOR STRIN GED INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed September 25, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lvovnn A. THINGSTAD, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Vergas, in the county of Ottertail and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fingering Attachments for Stringed Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a. new and useful attachment for stringed instruments which will permit one or more strings to be pressed and held in engagement with one or more frets without placing the fingers upon the strings, whereby to eliminate sore finger tips.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide an attachment of the character described which may be readily positioned upon the neck of an instrument and held in the desired position without the necessity of employing screws or similar fastening means.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of the neck of a guitar having one section of my attachment positioned thereon,

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the section shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of another section of my attachment,

Fig. t is a top plan view of a third section of. my attachment,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the section shown in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fi 2,

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the string engaging members or fingers used to produce a chord,

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of an other one of the string engaging members or fingersfor producing a chord, and

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the section of the attachment shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by characters Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Serial No. 863,517.

of reference, the numeral 1 designates the neck of a guitar having the usual string! 2 and frets 2.

My invention consists of an attachment which comprises a plurality of sections that are to be used individually or otherwise if desired and adapted to be clamped upon the neck of the guitar to enable playing of tunes in different keys.

Each of the sections comprises a frame, which consists of a pair of longitudinal side bars 3 and 4 connected at their ends by bows 5 and 6 of spring metal. The ends 7 of the bows 5 and 6 are inclined inwardly to effectively hold the side bars 3 and 4 in clamping engagement with the sides of the neck 1, and said ends are secured to the side bars by fastenings 8. All of the sections except the one illustrated in Figs. 3 and 9 are constructed in substantially the same manner. This section is provided with the side ba 's 3 and 4 as are the other sections and said bars are connected by a metal bow 9 similar to the bows 5 and 6 and by a how 10. The how 10 is similar in shape to the bow 9 and is not necessarily of spring metal. Secured to this how 10 upon the inner face thereof isa cross bar 11 w ich is recessed as at 12 to provide a finger 13 which is adapted to press a plurality of strings against one of the frets 2 and therefore act as a capo tasto. The recess 12 permits the strings 2 upon one side of the neck to be used irrespective of the member 11. This section of the attachment is designed to be secured adjacent to the outer end of the neck of the guitar by a curved clamping bar 14 that is pivoted to one end of the how 10 as at 15 and is of sufficient length to extend around the neck 1. Upon the other end of the bow 10 is a recessed latch plate 16 designed to receive the free end of the bar 14 to hold the bar in locked position about the neck 1.

As a means for insuring the proper fitting of the sections to the neck 1, each section is provided at the ends of the bars 3 and 4 thereof with a plurality of L-shaped plates 17. The longer portions of the plates 17 are secured to the outer faces of the bars 3' and 4 and their shorter portions extend ver the upper edges of the bars 3 and 4 to engage the upper face of the neck 1 ad jacent the edges thereof.

Each of the sections is provided with a plurality of keys, each key consisting of a leaf spring having a right angular attaching end 19. The ends 19 are secured to the outer faces of the bars 3 and 6t as the case may be Within recesses so that the outer faces of said ends will be fiush with the outer faces of the bars. The ends 19 hold the body portions of the keys in normal superposed relation to the bars 3 and t and to the strings 2 of the instrument. The free ends of the keys are located between the bars 3 and 4t and have secured to the under sides thereof string engaging members or fingers.

The section illustrated in Fig. 1, is provided with a transverse bar 21 located near the how (3 and normally supported in superposed relation to the strings 2 by the spring metal arms 22 that are secured to the upper sides of the bars 3 and 4: and to the ends' of the bar 21.

The string engaging members or fingers 23 are formed on the ends of the bar 21 and provide means by which the outermost of the strings 2 may be pressed and held against a fret. This section is also provided with three of the keys, 18, 18, and 18 carrying fingers. The key 18 is provided with a triangular finger 24:, having at its corners string engaging lugs 25. It will be seen that the finger 2 1 provides means by which three of the strings 2 may be pressed against the frets when it is desired to produce a chord. The key 18 is provided at its free end with a finger 27 which has a pair of spaced lugs similar to the lugs 25 to engage two of the strings 2 simultaneously, and this key is positioned below the key 18% An arcuate bar 28 is secured to the free end of the key 18 at a point intermediate its ends and is provided at its ends with fingers 29 similar to the finger 25. This bar extends over and engages the key 18 so that upon the depression of the key 18 all of the keys except 21 will be depressed causing a plurality of strings 2 to be pressed into and held in engagement with a plurality of frets 2 The section illustrated in Fig. 3 is provided with keys 18 18", and 18 The key 18 has a finger 30 provided with lugs 31 and 31 to engage a pair of strings simultaneously at different fret points. The keys 18 and 18 are each provided with a finger 32 arranged to engage individual strings and to operate in connection with the finger 30 to produce a chord.

The section illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is provided with keys 18 18*, 18 18 and 33. The key 33 is secured at one end to the bow 5 at a point intermediate the ends thereof and extends under the key 18 and over the rasse key 18 and has secured to its free end a finger 2 L provided with a plurality of string engaging lugs upon its under face. The lugs are arranged to engage a plurality of strings between some of the frets. A finger 35 is secured to the end of the key 18 this finger 35 is similar to the damper 3e, and operates in the same manner in conjunction with the finger 3a to press a number of strings into engagement with a number of frets so that a chord may be played. The key 18 is provided with a circular finger 36 and the key 18 with a rectangular finger 3'? arranged to engage different strings.

To attach the sections comprising the attachment the bars 3 and 4; are positioned. in engagement with the sides of the neck 1.

The L-shaped plates 17 serve to properly position the sections with relation to the neck 1 and the spring bows 5 and 6 hold the sections in clamped position upon the neck.

Tt will be readily seen with reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings that T have provided a simple and inexpensive attachment which will permit of the playing of chords by the depression of a single key, and enable the fingering of an instrument without necessitating the operator pressing the strings with his fingers. It will be noted that the several sections of the attachment enable the playing of tunes in different keys and may be readily attached and detached from an instrument.

in practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment'is the most efiicient and practical yet; yet T desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as set forth.

W hat is claimed is 1-- A fingering attachment for stringed instruments comprising side bars, spring bows secured to the side bars, said bows connect ing the side bars and adapted to hold the side bars in clamping engagement with the neck of the instrument, means carried by the side bars for en agement with the upper side of the neck to insure proper positioning of the attachment upon the neck, spring keys, and fingers carried by the keys.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TNGVAR A. THTNGSTAD.

Vi itnesses 2 0. P. Snrrrnn, CECIL W. SHINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

